Olenu and the Owl

by Richard Chowning

January 13, 2000

Olenu is a sister in the Kadahoue congregation.  Her faith is moving the community.  Five weeks ago she woke up and walked out of her hut to find an owl in the tree directly in front of her.  Owls are carriers of sorcery.  People pay a sorcerer to cause evil on someone.  Most often the sorcerer will send them to the market in Azove to buy bones, skins, shells, or dead reptiles that he will fashion into one of the many varieties of talisman.  The talisman is placed in a field or worn as protection.  The owl carries only the most powerful sorcery of destruction and even death.

“I did not fear when I saw the owl,” Olenu said.  “I got down on my knees and asked God to protect me.”  After she finished praying, she looked up in time to see the owl fly away.  She was delivered.  However, a week latter she awoke to find the owl perched in the same tree.  With confidence she implored God to shield her.  The owl took off.  Her faith was confirmed.

The next morning a woman was waiting outside of Olenu’s hut.  “Forgive me.  I was the one who gave money to the sorcerer.  I did not know he would send it to your house.  I repent.”  Olenu forgave her and told her about God’s power.

“No one can remember hearing of a person coming on their own to ask for forgiveness for sending sorcery,” Jaques, one of the evangelists from Kadahoue, told me.  “For the past three weeks we have had many people coming to worship with us on Sunday.  They say there is power in the Church of Christ.”

I cannot argue with that.  The Lord is the Almighty.  Pray that He will bring many into the Kingdom through the revival at Kadahoue.

------ Richard